


for warmth

by orphan_account



Category: Homestuck
Genre: Awkward Romance, Awkwardness, Cuddling & Snuggling, F/F, M/M, Meteorstuck, Multi, Not Canon Compliant, POV Alternating, POV Second Person, So yeah, act 6 intermission whenever the rosemary kiss happened, borderline domestic, btw i started writing this before i read, but i was like how bout i do anyway, cozy motherfuckers, so no way this is canon compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-05
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:00:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22123750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Rose and Kanaya retreat under the blankets together. For warmth and nothing else, of course.Dave teases them for this, then proceeds to do the exact same thing with Karkat.This meteor is pretty cold and gay.
Relationships: Dave Strider/Karkat Vantas, Rose Lalonde/Kanaya Maryam, both ships get attention dw
Comments: 15
Kudos: 100





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> hello this was highkey inspired by paech's goodnight n go, check it out!  
> hope you enjoy this hot mess <3

The meteor you and your friends were stuck on for the next three years was constantly cold, gray, and miserable. Not that you particularly minded, considering the climate where you grew up, but you could do without the cold.

Luckily, there was no better way to get warm than being buried under the blankets with Kanaya Maryam. You two had made a habit of sitting on the sofa huddled together under the covers for warmth. Nothing more. You did not avoid touching each other out of gay panic. It was just so you wouldn't overstep your purely platonic relationship. You did not secretly think about snuggling close to Kanaya every moment you spent within cuddling range. Nope. No gay thoughts here. 

"Rose?" Kanaya said, breaking the silence and interrupting your thoughts.

"Hm?"

"I'm still cold...While this is nice, I'm afraid it's not enough, as the meteor is particularly cold today."

"You are? Well, that won't do. How can I help?"

"Um, I'm not sure. I don't think much can be done, since trolls naturally have a lower body temperature than humans, probably due to our planets' different climates..." Kanaya trailed off.

"Different climates?"

"The temperature on Alternia is usually very high, so our bodies are built to withstand that. There is no need for us to produce body heat, so we're not used to cold temperatures."

"Ah, so you're a bit... coldblooded."

"Yes, in a way. We can survive without much warmth, such as on this meteor. But it can get... uncomfortable." Kanaya paused. "I envy humans and their warm body temperatures. You probably don't have to retreat under this many layers of blankets every time it's a bit chilly."

She was right. The meteor was cold, but this was a bit... overboard for a human who could produce her own body heat. "Well... we get cold too." You stated.

"But you do seem to keep a very high body temperature compared to mine." Kanaya placed a cool hand on top of yours as she spoke, and you felt yourself turn even warmer. "Yes, you're very warm." If she made a comment on how hot your face was getting, you were sure to reach fever pitch.

"Mhm... And your hand feels... cool, but not in an unpleasant way. In fact, it's almost refreshing with how warm it is under these blankets." Was this actually happening? Were you and Kanaya Maryam... flirting, despite how horribly awkward it was?

"Then I can do this." Without warning, Kanaya intertwined her fingers with yours. Although she seemed confident, a jade blush immediately stained her face. "For... for warmth."

You were speechless. Was she really doing this? Well, in that case... you scooted closer so you could lay your head on her shoulder. Her silvery skin was cool to the touch, as opposed to the blushy mess you just turned into. Thankfully, it was dark, so you figured Kanaya would blame your high body temperature for... whatever was happening to you.

Kanaya also chose not to say anything, but the smile on her face said enough. You came even closer, moving your intertwined hands so they were now resting on top of your lap. You two were so close that you could feel Kanaya's breath graze your face as you basked in her glow. You wondered if she could see how much of a hot mess you were now that she was glowing. Hopefully not. Then again, she wasn't exactly keeping her composure either.

"Rose..." She mumbled. "You're... so warm."

"I'm happy to help."

"Can we do this again sometime? I... enjoy your warmth and company."

"Of course."

And so you did. It soon became a daily routine, one which the meteor's other passengers started to notice. It was amusing, albeit embarrassing to see the others' reactions. Karkat simply groaned when he found you taking up the couch, while Dave used it as an opportunity to tease you relentlessly. Terezi, of course, was oblivious until Dave filled her in. She then cackled and stuck her tongue between two fingers, which made both of you heat up fast. Eventually, everyone grew tired of bugging you and you finally had Kanaya to yourself, free to cuddle as much as you pleased. 

Cuddling... that was what you were doing, wasn't it? This realization hit you while you were sitting in Kanaya's lap with her arms wrapped around you. You were cuddling with Kanaya Maryam, and you started to feel all warm and fuzzy inside from that realization. A night like this had only existed in your wildest dreams. In a platonic way, of course.

Ok, you couldn't keep lying to yourself. It may be physically impossible. Your feelings for Kanaya were growing less and less platonic by the minute. She'd always made you feel this strange, yet unfamiliar emotion, but to a degree which you could reasonably deny your attraction to her. Now, it was undeniable. You, Rose Lalonde, had a crush on Kanaya Maryam. And she was showing signs of reciprocation. 

So... now what? Sure, you thought she felt the same way, but it was possible that you misunderstood every move she made on you as an advance that simply wasn't happening. Still, you could always just... Your train of thought was interrupted by Kanaya resting her head on yours. You seemed to have forgotten you were literally in your crush's arms until now, and you felt your cheeks burn hotter than they ever had before.

"You're very, very warm, Rose. Hot, even." Hot? No, no, she surely didn't mean it that way. Get your mind out of the gutter, Rose. 

"... Maybe you're just cold." You muttered.

"No, I'm feeling warm. In more ways than one." Kanaya cleared her throat before continuing. "Ah, forgive me and... please forget I said that."

"What exactly do you mean?"

"Rose..." You loved the way she said your name, so delicately, so elegantly. "Please don't make me spell it out for you... I'm not sure I can."

Wait... was this really happening?

"I- I think I know what you mean."

"You do?"

This was really happening. 

"Yes... even though I'm the one who's supposed to be warming you up, I've found that this... cuddling... has also made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. And I believe it may be... in a sense that's... more than platonic." You rushed out the last part, anxious to get it over with. 

"I'm glad you feel the same way." Just how was she so confident? It took you weeks to admit these feelings to yourself, and here she was, simultaneously confessing to you and making you realize that you felt the same way. Kanaya truly was amazing.

"I... I never would've thought that you... felt this way. But... you do. And that makes me happy."

"...Me too." She mumbled.

"Kanaya... I... I'm afraid I have no words."

"That's fine. We can stay like this in silence."

And you did. Although you knew the quiet should be awkward, considering the circumstances, you instead enjoyed a comfortable silence. With your hands in Kanaya's, and your head nestled into her chest, you were finally able to relax. Now that the feelings you both had been hiding for so long had finally been revealed, there was not much else to say to each other.

But for now, that was ok.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> davekats comingg soon i swear

You woke up in a mess of blankets and arms. And... you weren't in bed. You were on the sofa with Kanaya in the exact same position you were in last night, in her lap, head close to her heart. Nice. You snuggled closer to your companion, who you swore was still asleep. Then, you heard a small snicker escape her which proved that was not the case. As soon as you looked up to see her peering down at you with a smile on her face, you realized your mistake. Whoops.

“You’re enjoying this, aren't you?"

"Oh… You're... awake?" You mumbled, feeling your face heat up. You weren't expecting Kanaya to wake up before you, so you thought you’d get to see her reaction to waking up with you in her arms. You could envision it in your head so, so clearly… her jade tinted cheeks, the tiny smile she couldn’t hide, her averted gaze… looks like she’d beat you to it today.

"I've been awake for a while. Any other day, I would’ve gotten up but I didn’t want to disturb you. You looked so peaceful..." Kanaya trailed off.

"Sorry about that. I know you don't have the heart to throw me off." You smirked, seemingly regaining your confidence.Nev

"Oh, I would never. You have no idea how adorable you are." Never mind. Any confidence you had was thrown out the window.

"Ka..."

"Was that too much? I'm sorry... this is probably a bit strange considering that we've just ....confessed." She finished as jade burned her already glowing skin. "By the way, what are we now? You’re... flushed for me, correct? I sincerely hope I haven't gotten the wrong idea. That would be disastrous and-"

"Shhh... Kanaya, you're rambling." You looked up at Kanaya to see a nervous smile on her face that melted your heart. "Don't worry. You have the right idea. I’d very much like for us to be together." Despite how sure you sounded, you were still processing the fact that Kanaya was more than a friend to you. You felt like such a fool, just now realizing how deep your feelings for her went. Well, better late than never.

"That's good to know. So would this make us... matesprits now?"

"I suppose so. Although us humans call it dating."

"Dating? I’ve… heard about that, but could you explain in more detail? I would hate to be uninformed.”

"Of course. Dating is... it's what you do with someone you're... flushed with." You paused, taking some time to think of a better explanation. "While you're dating someone, you go on dates, just the two of you, which is just… doing things together, but in a more romantic, or flushed manner. Us humans usually call the person we’re dating our boyfriend, or girlfriend, in this case. But you can call them whatever you like, really."

"That makes sense. It sounds very similar to matespritship, so I don’t think I will have much difficulty acting as your… girlfriend. We are girlfriends now, right?" Girlfriend. It was just one word, but it had such a powerful effect on you. Of course, you'd never admit that to Kanaya.

"Yes. Kanaya, you’re... my girlfriend." You repeated it in your head several times before saying it aloud, just to get used to it. Despite that, you still felt your face warm up as you spoke. Girlfriend… Kanaya Maryam, your girlfriend… You couldn’t have imagined this would happen when you first met Kanaya, but here you were.

"Um, Rose? I would like to go on a date with you, but I have to admit, I’m not sure what to do while on a date. Especially seeing that we're on a meteor of all things." Kanaya confessed.

"I'm not exactly sure, either... But whether a date is just cuddling like this, or having a nice dinner together, I’m sure I’ll enjoy it as long as I’m with you.."

"Likewise. There isn’t much to do on this miserable meteor, but I don’t think that’ll be an issue now that I have you." As she said this, she pulled you closer so you were now resting your head under hers. You couldn’t see yourself, but you were certain Kanaya had turned you into a blushy mess, judging by the proximity and the heat you felt rush to your cheeks.

“I’m sure we’ll figure something out together, but if not, we can always continue like this.” 

"Mmm… that sounds nice… but shouldn’t we let the others know about our matespritship? I mean...that we’re dating?"

"At some point, yes. But it may be fun to keep them guessing for a bit longer." You teased. "By the way, you can call our relationship whatever you like, Kanaya. It doesn't matter to me."

Kanaya pulled you closer with a mischievous tone to her voice. You couldn’t see her, but you were sure she had that cute little smirk on her face. "Hmm... well, we can have a bit of fun, can't we? Not everyone has to know that we're matesprits quite yet."

You smiled, snuggling so close to her you could now feel her breath. "I don't see why not."

After falling into a comfortable silence, you and Kanaya didn't separate for a very long time. Before, you'd be cautious of being too touchy in the living room, but it no longer mattered. If the others thought you were dating, whatever. It was true, after all. Eventually, you'd cave and tell them the truth. But for now, you stayed put, cozy in Kanaya's lap, until the others woke up to tease you for how obviously gay you were for each other.

You enjoyed Kanaya’s company for a short while until Dave showed up to call you out. You knew this would happen, but you were a bit upset that the moment you were having with Kanaya was interrupted. Oh well. It was bound to happen eventually.

"Woah, looks like the lovebirds are at it again." Dave commented, peeking into the living room from the hallway. "Hey Kanaya, if you two actually get together, you better be good to my sister, yeah? Treat her like the goddamn princess she is."

"I'll try my best. I can’t promise anything, though."

"Listen, if you hurt her, I'll beat the shit out of you." He'd walked into the living room and was now standing in front of the sofa, arms crossed. "Verbally, of course. I don't think I could give you a good old fashioned physical beatdown, even if I wanted to. You’d probably pull out your weird lipstick chainsaw thing and saw me in half. Or just beat the shit out of me like normal people do. Because you could probably do that, too."

"I would never even think of letting harm come to Rose." Kanaya said, squeezing your hand under the blankets.

"Right, right. Just in case, yknow? I don’t think that’ll be a problem, but you can never be too sure. There’s a lot of shitheads out there, and you never know who it’s gonna be. I don’t think you’re one of them, though. You seem nice, proper, smart, all that... and I know Rose. You two are like, a perfect match."

"A perfect match, huh?" Kanaya questioned, looking down at you smugly.

"Yeah, you two are undeniably super gay for each other."

"I am not gay for Kanaya."

You felt Kanaya's laughter bubble up in her chest as she tried to contain it. It was adorable, but you couldn’t truly appreciate it for what it was, as you were busy trying to hold in your own oncoming giggle fit. You’d successfully contained the giggles, but you couldn’t hide the huge smile on your face.

"C'mon, just admit it. It's painfully obvious."

"Oh no, is it really?" Kanaya joked.

That was your limit. You'd been holding on to your wavering smile for a while, but that comment made you burst into laughter which turned out to be contagious. Now Kanaya was laughing too, while Dave just stood there, clueless as to what was going on.

“Um, I’m just gonna...go. Get some breakfast. Yeah. Leave you two to whatever gay shit you wanna do next, alright?” Dave said. You were too busy cracking up to respond, so you just gave him a wave as he exited the room.

After you both calmed down, you curled up in Kanaya’s lap with a smile on your face, resting your head on her chest. This was definitely your new favorite place on the meteor. In Kanaya’s lap, you felt comfortable, safe, and secure. You idly wondered how long you could go before the others figured out what was going on. Until then, you'd continue to enjoy the poorly kept secret that was you and Kanaya's relationship.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> whoaaaa here comes the davekat! yeah we switching perspectives. chapter 4s gonna be more davekat so get ready.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *takes off clown makeup* it is done. savor this update, because idfk when another is coming.  
> also i rewrote this like 193021920182 times lol. wish i gave the same treatment to previous chapters but it is what it is.

Night time was the shit. 

No one up to distract you, just you, your tunes, and the creative energy your brain magically produced at ass o'clock. What’s up with that? Any time you sat down to make music at a decent time, you were completely uninspired, head full of thoughts about everything but your latest project. But as soon as you laid your head down to sleep, boom, ideas rushing through your head at the speed of light, making you physically unable to sleep until you put them into song. You always ended up starting some dumbass song you’d never finish at the cost of your few remaining brain cells the next day. Who could blame you, though? Late night hours were perfect for that sort of thing. Just you and your thoughts, no one else up to pull you out of the zone. When you were there, everything felt right. Like making music was what you were meant to do. You always dreamed of becoming a famous musician, but now, you just wanted to make it out of this shitshow alive, as all your dreams of fame had been crushed along with the rest of your species. Technically, you could still be famous, but only among the surviving members of you and the trolls’ race, which wasn’t very exciting. No one on this miserable meteor really wanted to hear your music, anyway. Nothing against them, you just wished one of them was into your stuff so you could show it to someone, anyone.

But there was no one around to hear the bops you made.

At least no one willing.

There was Karkat, who came to your door and told you to shut the fuck up when you rapped a little too loud. And you did at first, but about a week in, you started to feel restless and pent up without a creative outlet. So, you stayed up until the wee hours of the morning and tried your hardest to be quiet, but of course, he eventually turned up at your door, hurling insult after insult at you. You told him, fine, you’d shut the fuck up, but you inevitably fucked up again, getting you another angry rant from Karkat. Soon, you found yourself no longer wanting to shut the fuck up because damn, this guy was a riot. You knew it was a bit fucked up, but you couldn’t stop. His elaborate rants about how shitty your music was and how you needed to learn how to close your fucking mouth were strangely addicting.

But this time, when you opened up your door to find Karkat not so patiently waiting for you, you knew he meant business. Shit.

“Strider, I think it’s about time you stop fucking around and tell me whether you’re ever going to shut the fuck up for real or if you just like making me suffer so I know if I need to begin the painful process of moving to a room far, far away from yours.” The troll had a genuine scowl on his face, somehow different from his usual pout. That expression made you feel a pang of pain in your chest, like when you accidentally stepped on your dog and it made that pained sound that made you want to shower it in affection as an apology. Wait, no, not that part. You were pretty sure Karkat wouldn't take affection as an apology, and even if he did, you'd never take him up on it. Never. So instead, you opted for a somewhat normal apology.

“Dude, I’m so fucking sorry. It’s not like I want to see you suffer, it’s just…” You trailed off. What were you doing? In what fucked up world was there a good reason to piss off your neighbor just to see the look on his face and hear the shit he came up with? It was fun, sure, but you definitely just crossed the line between annoying neighbor and complete asshole. At least Karkat's murderous scowl was turning back into his usual frown. “Ok, maybe I, um, have been having a little fun with this, but like, it’s not the suffering itself. It’s, it’s kinda funny hearing the shit you come up with every time you come to my door. Like... knock knock, whoa, it’s Karkat, here to talk more shit.” You paused, and his sour face told you he didn’t find that funny. “I’m… I’m sorry. For being a complete dickhead.”

“Ugh, at least you know you’re a complete fucking dickhead. Whatever that means. Anyways, that’s absolutely disgusting, Strider, this is not some black romance shit, if your primitive species even has a word for that. I’m an ass to everyone, ok? You’re not fucking special, and I don’t feel that way about you.”

“Whoa, I’m not gay, man. I don’t even know what black romance is. Sorry.”

"Whatever. If you’re really fucking sorry, do me a favor.” He growled. You could feel another one of Karkat’s angry rants coming on, but you didn’t mind, since he seemed less genuinely mad and more crabby, which is apparently this guy’s normal. “You’re teaching me how the fuck you haven’t frozen to death on this coldass meteor. Even on the nights when you’re quiet for a change, it’s so goddamn cold here I can’t sleep no matter how many blankets I pile on. I don’t know what it is about this stupid meteor, but it’s cold as hell. I’m starting to miss fucking Alternia. Can you believe that I’m homesick for that shithole? Just shows how much of a piece of shit this meteor is..”

“So you’re telling me that you like to sleep under this massive pile of blankets, but because we’re on a goddamn meteor, you’re still cold as fuck, shaking like a leaf even under this clusterfuck of blankets you’ve wrapped around yourself.” As you spoke, you couldn’t stop a smug grin from shining through your usual poker face. “And you’ve been so fucking cold, you decided to ask me, your asshole neighbor for help. Listen, I’m flattered, but… couldn’t you have asked Rose or something?”

“I'll be honest, I barely heard half of that fucking word vomit." He quipped. "Believe me, I'd ask Rose if I could, but since she’s busy having troll-human sloppy makeouts with Kanaya, I have to settle with this asshole.”

“Well damn, I guess I gotta help you out now. Can’t just let you freeze your ass off all alone, with no one around to help. That’d be so goddamn cruel, and I’m not about that life. C’mon Karkat, we’re goin' to the supply closet.”

After finally ending that stupid argument, which was one of many, you began the journey to the supply closet which had more than enough stuff for all the meteor’s passengers, including but not limited to blankets, pillows, and even mattresses. You weren’t exactly sure how the troll’s meteor met so many of your human needs, but you were thankful. This was a long, arduous journey, and if you weren’t living so goddamn comfortably on the meteor, you probably would’ve snapped long ago.

You were in the closet with Karkat for what felt like hours gathering up blankets and shit to help his cold-blooded ass out, but you didn’t mind. It was the least you could do after keeping him awake with your shitty late night raps. He seemed to be done arguing with you, probably since you were no longer being a complete ass. Now that he was no longer pissed off at you, Karkat turned out to be a pretty cool dude, making jokes and listening to your dumbass rambles as you rummaged through the closet together. Somehow, that felt like an accomplishment. He’d never hear any of this, of course. It was your stupid little secret now.

“What the fuck is this?” Karkat asked, poking a mattress.

“Holy shit. This is more urgent than I thought. Get this man to the ER, he hasn’t had a good night’s sleep in a longass time. Been sleeping on the floor or some shit.” You teased. “Don’t worry, Strider’s got you covered, he’ll build you a blanket nest like a goddamn mama bird. And that mama bird knows her shit, so she’s not letting you sleep on this frigid fucking floor again. Man, I can’t even go barefoot around here, I don’t know how you’ve been - Holy shit, are you not wearing socks?”

“Yes, what about it? Is it a crime to be barefoot? Are you going to put me in Can Town jail or some shit?” Karkat hissed.

“Dude. You need to put on some goddamn socks right now. It’ll help, trust me. First step to getting warm, socks. Then we can worry about blankets and shit. Hold on, I bet they got socks somewhere in here…” Sure enough, after a bit of searching, you found a nice, fuzzy pair of socks, perfect for sleeping in. “Vibe check.” You said casually before tossing the socks at Karkat, hitting him in the head and making him jump.

“Strider! I thought you were done being an asshole! I guess you still want to see me suffer, huh.” He paused as he picked up the pair of socks and put them on. “Oh. These are… pretty fucking nice. Thanks for the socks, bulgesucker!”

You smirked, trying to hold back a laugh. “No problem, crab cake. Yknow, socks are pretty fucking nice. They stop your feet from freezing off while you’re walking around this coldass meteor. Seriously, who decided to make the floor concrete? There’s plenty of perfectly good flooring material they could’ve gone for, but no, they chose the one that’ll freeze your fucking feet off. Cold feet are a serious issues, man. That shit sucks, but socks... socks are just like… mini blankets for your feet, dude. They’re heavenly. Here, help me pick up this fatass mattress.”

“Mattress? You mean this thing?” Karkat kicked a mattress, swearing under his breath when he somehow stubbed his sock-clad toe on the soft surface. 

You were unable to contain a chuckle, but you stopped yourself from doubling over in laughter, as much as you wanted to. “Yes, that thing. C’mon, grab that end, I’ll get the other side. You know where Can Town is, right? We’re taking it there.”

“Why Can Town? That’s the stupidest idea I’ve ever heard.”

“To sleep there, duh. Can Town’s pretty chill, actually. Plus, you won’t have to worry about your shitty neighbor keeping you up anymore. It’s just the Mayor, and he’s a pretty quiet guy. Actually, Terezi might stop by… but I’ll make sure she doesn’t bug you.” You trailed off.

“Fine, I’ll sleep in goddamn Can Town, but only because I won’t have to put up with your bullshit there. Lead the way.” Karkat huffed as he picked up one end of the mattress.

Little did he know, Karkat would have a lot of bullshit to put up with soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i promise i wont abandon this im just stressy and depressy rn so im taking a lil break from writing


	4. Chapter 4

“And… that should do it!” You announced after throwing another blanket at Karkat, who you’d just turned into a blanket burrito. “Damn, you’re all swaddled up like a baby. I can feel my maternal instincts kicking in. It’s like I have a wholeass baby now, and I gotta stop his dumb ass from going out in the snow in shorts. Can’t have my kid catching a cold, that’d make me a pretty shitty parent.”

“I’m not a fucking wriggler!” Karkat said as he pushed the blankets off, opting to crawl on top of them instead. “Strider, you have to sit on the pile like this, not get crushed by it, you fucking brainlet.”

Oh. No wonder he’s been so cold. “So you’re telling me instead of enveloping yourself in a nice, warm blanket, you… sleep on top of it? Is this some weird troll thing?” You inquired.

“Yes, it’s some weird troll thing, if that’ll help you wrap your tiny thinkpan around it.” He huffed. “Believe it or not, piles are actually pretty fucking comfy, even if they’re just another weird troll thing to you.”

“Damn, man, that’s practically an invitation for me to get in this sickass pile with you.” You said with a smug smirk before plopping your ass down on the other side of the pile.

This caused the ticking time bomb that was Karkat to blow up once again. He threw countless complaints and obscenities at you, but your ass was already settled into his weird troll pile, and it wasn’t moving. You told him about this, and how your ass had bought a nice house and started a loving family in the pile neighborhood just so he’d know how fucking comfortable you were, but he wasn’t having it. He continued to shit on you and your “dumbass metaphors that made no fucking sense” until he tired himself out, leaving both of you in an awkward silence that almost made you wish he kept shouting at you. 

However, once the tension in the air dissipated, you found that you enjoyed laying in the pile with Karkat. Neither of you said anything, but somehow still enjoyed each other’s company, even though Karkat had just finished shouting at you for a straight minute. But, cozy as you were, you weren’t sure you could fall asleep like this. Besides, you were supposed to be teaching Karkat the proper way to use human bedding, and judging by his shivering, shaky breath, this wasn’t it.

“So… you still cold, dude?” You asked, your voice low.

“Yeah. I’ve been… sleeping like this the whole goddamn time, just without the mattress.” He said, his voice now at a normal volume to match your near whisper. Considering he’s been yelling at you all night, you were caught a bit off guard, but you figured you never actually pissed him off. This guy always acted pissed no matter what. And acting’s fucking tough. You’d know.

“Holy shit, no wonder you’re so cold.” You rolled onto your stomach and peeked over the pile to see Karkat nestled into a particularly soft blanket, all curled up in a ball. “Aww, you’re like a little Karkitten.” 

“I’m not a goddamn meowbeast!” Karkat hissed. “Listen Strider, you’re not the first one to come up with that nickname, and I’m tired of fucking hearing it.” 

“Aww, c’mon dude, cats are pretty chill. Unless meowbeasts are just fucked up versions of cats… but the cats we’ve got back on Earth are pretty fucking great. Sure, they can be bastards sometimes, but they’re cute bastards, like y- wait, fuck, uh, no homo.” Wow. Way to put your foot in your mouth, Dave. Usually your word vomit didn’t make things this awkward.

“Oh my fucking gog, why don’t you humans want to be ‘homosexuals’? You’d think it’s something horrible by the way you avoid being ‘homo’, but it literally just means liking someone of the same gender. What’s the big deal?” Karkat groaned.

“I mean, there’s nothing wrong with being gay, just… I’m not gay. But I... kinda accidentally said some gay shit, and when that happens, you gotta say no homo. Clears the gay tension out of the air, like febreeze or some shit.”

“Strider, that makes no fucking sense. How do you end up with ‘gay tension’ on accident, then just magically whoosh it away with ‘no homo’?” He asked, making you felt a bit called out. “Ugh, humans make no fucking sense.”

“It’s just - yeah, it’s a human thing. This… happens all the time with us. So… that’s why ‘no homo’ was invented.” You were so glad your face was hidden by the blankets and darkness, because you had no idea what your normally stoic expression had just morphed into. If the heat you felt on your face was somehow visible, you’d be in some deep shit. The shit you’d be in was so deep, you’d probably drown in it. Gross.

“Why don’t you just take full responsibility for the homo- wait, fuck, no, that’s not what I fucking meant!” Now it was Karkat’s turn to blush, but he didn’t have the advantage of being on the top of a blanket pile, so he simply rolled over to hide his face.

You laughed, both at him and yourself as you felt your face turn so hot you could probably fry an egg with it. “God, how did we even get ourselves into this dumbass situation?”

“I don’t know, but I want out!” Karkat shouted, muffled by the blankets.

“Alright, no homo then.”

“That doesn’t fucking help!”

“Shit, are we doing this again?” You pondered. “Damn, I thought I’d tamed the wild Kar-cat, but I guess not.”

“What the fuck are you talking about?”

“You know how you’re always shouty and angry? You seemed, like, quieter, so I figured I was doing something right…” You admitted.

“Oh, fuck. Don’t beat the shit out of yourself over that, Strider. I’m a complete asshole, but you just… got lucky for a little bit.” He sighed as he sunk further into the blanket pile. Holy shit, you knew it. He wasn’t actually a total shithead. No one could genuinely be as shitty as Karkat made himself out to be, right?

“Alright, got it. For now, let’s just…" You were interrupted by a yawn. Damn, good timing. "...go to sleep. Get off your blanket throne, princess, I'm gonna teach you the recipe for a proper human bed. You’ll probably have to make this shit again, so pay attention."

Karkat groaned and rolled off the pile before finally getting up. “Alright, so what the fuck am I supposed to do?”

“It’s pretty easy, actually. Lemme just show you how to set this shit up, then you’ll be good to go.”

After fucking around and giving Karkat an unnecessarily long explanation, he could finally relax in his freshly made human bed. He’d probably be getting a good night’s sleep for the first time in a while, judging by the bags under his eyes. But, there was one problem.

You were lying in the bed.

“Strider, this isn’t fucking funny. Get the fuck out of my bed!”

“Nah man, shit’s comfy. And anyways…” You yawned again. “...I’m getting sleepy.”

“Oh my gog, are you seriously falling asleep in my bed right now? Am I going to have to go sleep in your room or something? Or maybe drag you back there so I can sleep in my own goddamn bed?”

“My room’s... locked...” You said groggily. Damn, who knew fucking around with Karkat for a few hours would leave you so tired? The only thing on your mind right now was sleep. After all, you needed it badly. Spending the last several nights mixing music then answering to an angry, sleepless troll at ass o’clock had finally caught up to you and hit you like a fucking bus.

Karkat let out a loud, dramatic sigh that sounded more like a huff. “Get out.”

“Hmm… nah. I’m pretty goddamn comfy.” You mumbled. “Almost… too comfy.”

“You better not fall asleep there. Get the fuck out. I need this bed too, yknow.”

“Mmm… too bad. I’m already drifting off into dreamland, man…”

“You know what, since you won’t get your ass up, I’m just gonna sleep here anyway. Move over, Strider.” He said.

Holy shit. That was enough to instantly bring you back to the waking world, even though you were on a train headed straight to dreamland. It made that shit go off the rails, leaving you feeling incredibly stupid for not even thinking of this as a thing that could happen for real. “Whoa, dude, wait, do you even know what you’re doing? Like, in human culture and shit?”

“Nope, and I don’t fucking care. All I care about right now is getting a much needed good night’s sleep. You better not snore.” He growled.

Before you could process what the fuck was going on, Karkat was shoving you to the side of the bed and crawling under the blankets with you. He hogged one of the many blankets you’d piled on the mattress then turned the other way. Thank god you two weren’t facing each other. That shit would get awkward fast

“Good fucking night, Strider.”

“Night.”

And the night was still.

Until you decided to roll over. You lifted your head ever so slightly to make sure Karkat was sound asleep and still facing away from you. When you ensured that the coast was clear, you slid off your shades, set them on the ground and turned over.

Suddenly, it hit you. You were now in the perfect position for spooning. Why that hit you, you had no fucking clue. But it was just some stupid thought. You had a lot of those. One more wouldn’t make much of a difference. After brushing it off, you shut your eyes and let your mind wander elsewhere as you drifted off to sleep, which both of you desperately needed.

After all, unbeknownst to you and Karkat, both of you were in store for quite an… exciting morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhh this is probably gonna be like. one of the last updates. i only want to make this 5 or 6 chapters long since i want to move on to other projects. it has been fun, though, and ive learned a lot!  
> anyways, thanks for reading my shitty fanfic! <3


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> if it hadnt been 2 months i wouldnt be publishing this chapter quite yet since i havent started the next one but i feel like i need to indicate that im alive somehow  
> 

Holy shit.

Why was your arm wrapped around Karkat? At what point in your overnight stay at Can Town did that happen? And how?

Whatever, that wasn’t important right now. Or ever. You had other stuff to deal with. Like how Karkat could wake up at any goddamn second to find you fucking cuddling him, no homo. You tried to pull your arm off of him, but that only got a groan from the sleeping troll as he gripped your arm tighter. Whoa, ok. You were not about to wake him up like this, unless you wanted to deal with awake Karkat. Dude was pretty chill when he was asleep, but if you woke him up like this, all that chill will be gone, never to be seen again, reported missing to the police, but it’s too late, chill’s family and friends will never see him again.

So you stayed.

You had to admit, it was kinda fucking adorable how he held on like that, protesting against any attempt to pull your arm away. Not in a gay way, though. He was just cute like a… like a cat or something. Yeah. Just keep suppressing the feelings that obviously aren’t there, Dave, you’re doing great.

Since Karkat clearly wasn’t letting go anytime soon, you decided to embrace it. Or rather, embrace him. Nice going, internal monologue. You carefully scooted closer so you could properly spoon him, since he was practically asking for it. After all, if your friends asked for something, you’d totally give it to them. You’re such a good bro, offering bro on bro cuddle sessions to a bro in need.

Wait, was that… a growl? No, it can’t be. You’ve heard his growl more than enough times to know it well, and that wasn’t it. Well, whatever it was, it was coming from Karkat. Was it… good or bad? This was new territory when it comes to Karkat sounds, so you had no idea. To figure it out, you tried to pull your arm away again, making the rumbly sound stop as he yanked it back. Did that mean… it was good? But what was it?

Oh.

He was purring. 

Holy shit, you had a goddamn cat in your arms. A happy cat, at that. From your experience with cats, they were all bastards, but cute little bastards. Additionally, from your experience with cats, you fucking loved them and never stopped fucking loving them even after losing your childhood pet at age ten. Even though you loved your new cat, no homo, there’d always be a special place in your heart for Fido, ironically named in an attempt to impress Bro.

Ok, so this guy hisses, purrs, even sleeps like a little kar-kitty. Just how catlike is he? Does he like being pet? Given scratches behind the ears like Fido did? Oh god, why are you going there? A normal fucking person wouldn’t even be in this situation in the first place, but here you are.

Fuck it.

Shit’s already weird, what have you got to lose?

Carefully, you pulled your other arm out from under the blankets to place a hand on Karkat’s head. You started out by patting him, then began to gently run your fingers through his hair. At first, you didn’t get much of a response besides a slightly louder purr, but once you entangled your hand in the roots of his curls, you began to feel his purrs vibrating against you.

Oh my god.

Fuck what anyone else thought, this was fucking amazing and definitely not gay in any way.

~~~

You idly stirred your morning tea while Kanaya sat across from you, picking at her Earth style breakfast more than actually eating it. As usual. What wasn’t so usual was Dave and Karkat’s absences from the table. Mostly Karkat’s. While there was a good chance Dave was eating in his room or sleeping in, Karkat was usually here in an incredibly hangry mood by now. His hanger had quite a specific schedule. While none of you - save for Dave - knew the time on the meteor, you all eventually fell into your own schedules, at least giving you a vague idea of whether it was day or night.

Right now, your surprisingly intact biological clock was telling you that it was about time for Dave or Karkat to drag themselves out of bed, seeking coffee or breakfast. The fact that neither had shown up while Kanaya, the world’s slowest eater, was nearly done with her second slice of toast and on her third cup of tea was quite something.

“Kanaya?”

“Yes, Rose?”

“While I do enjoy your company,” You paused, taking a sip of tea and smiling at Kanaya, “don’t you think Karkat and Dave should’ve been here long ago?”

“Yes, now that you mention it. It’s not unusual for Dave to skip out on breakfast at what he’d call an ‘ungodly hour’, but Karkat’s absence is what irks me. Usually by now, he’d be here demanding coffee and interrupting our quiet breakfast.”

You nodded in agreement as you took a sip of your tea. “While I’m sure he’s fine, I have a feeling that something’s going on. It may just be my seer powers, though.”

“Yes, I’m quite sure he’s fine, but…” Kanaya stopped mid sentence and nervously bit down on her lip.

“But what?”

“I may be needing him for, er, rainbow drinker reasons soon.” She confessed.

“Oh, but Kanaya, I’m right here. If you need something like that, all you have to do is ask.”

As you intended, your words made Kanaya blush a deep jade and glow ever so slightly as she took a long sip from her mug in an attempt to hide it.

“Um, I’m not sure you’d want to…” Kanaya paused and took another sip of tea that you weren’t sure was even there anymore. “...You really don’t have to do that for me. I’ll be fine, I promise.”

“Alright, that’s fine. I was just teasing… for the most part. If you ever do find yourself needing me for whatever rainbow drinker reasons you’re talking about, I certainly won’t turn you down.”

“Right...thank you. For now, I think we should find out what Karkat has been up to without any caffeine in his system. The answer might be quite amusing, knowing Karkat.” Kanaya said, sweeping the entire rainbow drinker topic under the rug.

“Agreed. Should we start out by texting him?” You suggested.

“We could, but for as long as I’ve known Karkat, he’s been quite a heavy sleeper, so it’s possible he won’t even see it if he’s sleeping in. Because of that, I think we should stop by his room to eliminate that possibility before texting him.”

“Sounds like a plan. Lead the way.” You said, standing up in almost perfect unison with Kanaya.

Empty mugs and half finished toast abandoned, Kanaya took your hand in hers and scurried off towards Karkat’s respite… room. Right. You had to ask her to please hold off on the rainbow drinker speed for now, unless she was planning on picking you up and taking you with her. That made her immediately freeze in place, as if she was seriously considering what you’d said, before continuing at a normal pace. You weren’t sure why, but you had a good feeling about this, and those feelings were rarely wrong.

This was sure to be fun.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> haha im alive i just have quarantine writers block sooo if this is worse than usual that's why

For the first time that day, you opened your eyes, blinking your grogginess away. Unfortunately for you and your photophobic eyes, you were lying on your back, staring straight at a ceiling light. Your poor eyes were immediately assaulted by said light, a wave of pain shooting through your head as you shut your eyes and instinctively reached out to rub your eyes. That seemed to work for your right arm, but as your morning drowsiness began to fade, you realized that something was weighing down your left arm.

That something being fucking Karkat, of all things.

Right. You’d woken up at what you guess was the middle of the night, then fell back asleep spooning Karkat. That was a thing that happened. You fumbled around for your sunglasses, slipping them onto your face and blinking the pain away. Now your head felt less like it was being split open and more like it just got hit by a sledgehammer. What an improvement. While your sleepiness and horrible headache began to wear off, you realized someone had to have turned those lights on at some point.

Fuck. Someone else was in here.

But Can Town was pretty fucking big, so you didn’t have to worry about that yet. At best, it was the Mayor, checking in on his sleepy town. At worst, it was Terezi and Vriska. You were honestly a bit intimidated by the pair, so you didn’t talk to them as much as the others - excluding Gamzee, of course - but you’ve ran into them more than a few times in Can Town. Regardless, you figured you and Karkat should get moving. The probability of the pair walking in on this shit and making fun of you for the rest of the meteor journey was too high.

You tried to pull your arm out of Karkat’s iron grip, but it turned into a…whatever’s sturdier than iron grip. Dude’s like a clingy baby koala. Nothing wrong with that, but you’re not his mom and you’re definitely not ready to take on the many responsibilities a koala mama has. So, you opted to gently shake him awake and brace for impact.

Nothing.

So you shook him again, a bit harder this time. You flinched when he squirmed in his sleep and opened his bigass mouth, but he only let out a small chirp that reminded you of those adorable videos of loudass cats. Damn, you missed those. Talkative internet cats aside, you still had a Karkitty of your own to wake up. So, you took a deep breath, prepared yourself for an onslaught of insults, and shook a peacefully sleeping Karkat as hard as you could.

At first, he just loosened his grip on your arm and let out a series of agitated clicking noises like a fucking geiger counter, so you almost let out a sigh of relief. At least he wasn’t hurling insults at you. Then, he opened his eyes, turned red, and scowled at you. Fuck.

“Dave. What. The. Fuck.” He started.

“Karkat, wait, before you pop off like the cap of a coke bottle full of mentos and liquid rage, gimme a chance to explain.” You interrupted, your words traveling at the speed of light before Karkat had the chance to interrupt. Despite the shitty metaphor, he closed his mouth and settled for just glaring at you. Looks like you lucked out. “Ok, so basically, we kinda fell asleep like this. I woke up in the middle of the night, and you were holding onto me like a sloth on a fucking tree or something. I swear, I tried to push you off, but you just would not let go. So, to avoid getting chewed out for waking you up at ass o’clock, I went back to sleep.”

“So you’re telling me that for some goddamn reason, I was… holding onto you so hard you couldn’t throw me off without waking me?” Karkat said, his voice laced with spite. “And you just went back to sleep like it was no big deal?!”

“Well, obviously it was sorta a big deal, but like, I wasn’t gonna stay up all night rocking you and singing you lullabies like a baby. You’re a big boy, Karks, I didn’t think this would be a problem. Wait, shit, is this why you’ve had trouble sleeping lately? Did you need your lusus or whatever to put you to bed, tuck you in, and give you a good night kiss?” You wished you could eat your stupid words, even before Karkat verbally curbstomped you.

“Oh my Gog, shut up! Are you fucking braindead? Seriously, I’m surprised you’re not a goddamn vegetable by now! I bet I could chop you up and throw you in a fucking stew, which would be great because then I wouldn’t have to put up with your shit! I know you’re a human, but how can you be this fucking clueless about troll culture?!” He paused to take a breath, still staring daggers at you even in momentary silence. Then, he carried on as if he never stopped at all. “Lusii don’t fucking do that shit! I don’t even know where you got the idea that we were all little grubs in need of coddling and shooshing, considering the state of our shitty planet, but that’s far from the fucking truth! I don’t have the time or shits to give for a full fucking lecture about lusii, but I can tell you right now that that is not their fucking job!”

“Whoa, dude. I know that was probably super fucking offensive, and I hate to sound like that guy, but I wasn’t serious about all that shit.”

“That’s the worst part, Strider! You say stupid shit like that and think it’s funny, and I can’t even tell the difference between your horrible jokes and the dumb shit you normally say, all because of your stupid fucking face! You never even crack a smile when you make an attempt at humor, so clearly not even you find your own jokes funny!” Karkat shouted.

You took a deep breath, steeling your nerves for whatever was next to come. You were about to say something sincere for once in your fucking life, and that alone was quite a feat, not to mention the fact that you’re saying it to a pissed off alien. “Karkat, I’m sorry for making a shitty joke like that and having a ‘stupid fucking face’ that makes it hard to tell whether I’m serious or not when I make an incredibly unfunny and insensitive joke about troll shit I don’t know shit about. Can we just, like, forget about it and move on to the next dumb thing I’m probably about to say?”

The odds seemed to be in your favor, as Karkat cracked a smile at your last remark for a precious split second before returning to his usual grimace. You seemed to have also sprouted a brain cell, because you resisted the urge to comment on his smile, instead taking a mental image of it that you decided to keep to yourself. However, this luck seemed to be short lived, because just like a shitty Buzzfeed article, you would've never guessed what was going to happen next.

The two of you fell into a comfortable silence, which immediately became uncomfortable when you heard this sort of murmur in the background. Talking…? Karkat must’ve heard it too, because he looked at you with this “oh shit” sort of look on his face, which you promptly mimicked.

“Fucking wonderful. Not only do I have to put up with your bullshit, I also have to put up with more bullshit from whoever the fuck that was, all because you refused to fuck off last night, as per fucking usual!” Karkat whispered, or rather said at a normal volume for once. 

“Sorry man, I was dead tired last night. Didn’t feel like making the long journey back to my bedroom. Plus, I didn’t birth and raise that amazingass bed just to abandon it like a deadbeat dad or something. Can’t have my son growing up without a proper father figure. Shit’s just not right.”

“Holy fuck Dave, just stop! Stop making dumbass metaphors for once in your goddamn life! Can’t you read the fucking room? Whoever had the brilliant idea to visit Can Town right now is gonna see this and think we’re fucking moirails, which is so far from the truth, it’s on another fucking planet!” He’s worried about you two being seen as… moirails? That was...not what you were concerned with.

“Moirails? Isn’t that the quadrant for friends? Damn, I know you have your whole pissed off 24/7 act going on but I thought we were friends, at least.”

“Holy fuck, Strider, how can one guy be so ignorant? Moirails are so much more than just friends! The ideal morallegence is two people who deeply care for each other and often rely on one another for emotional support. They also trust each other so much that they share much more physical affection than most trolls would in a friendship. Does that sound like us, dumbass?”

“...No. Look, sorry, but I still don’t see how that’s a huge fucking deal. Like, it’s not really true - and kinda embarrassing - but it’s not the worst assumption to be made. Listen, if a human, like, maybe Rose, were to walk in right now, they’d think-”

“If I did what now?”

Oh fuck.


End file.
